Grave Times for Gray Fox
by AuFox80
Summary: Taken from Zanzibar, Gray Fox becomes a human experiment. This chronicle offers a glimpse from different viewpoints of the story of Fox. Please keep in mind this was written prior to MGS4. Comments/reviews welcome.
1. Clark

Ah, yes. Gray Fox. Null -- the lost number. The perfect soldier. The perfect _specimen_. Frank Jaeger. Such an interesting history -- a grown child soldier with amnesia, who has constant nightmares of covert missions from his past. As a soldier in top physical condition with a relentless will to live, it's no surprise he clung to life after being pelted by so much shrapnel. The shrapnel lodged in his primary motor and sensory cortices, cerebellum and amygdala. A few small fragments were also found in his vocal cords. No matter. My newly developed gene-therapy/nanomachine techniques will remedy everything. If worse comes to worst, I'll synthesize new vocal cords. The nanomachines can repair the brain damage by creating a sophisticated neural network. My only concern is the amygdala -- such a complex and intriguing area of the brain, the slightest miscue may cause incredible rage and aggression in the subject. However, I'm confident in my abilities that Jaeger will be rehabilitated and under my control.

Houseman actually came through for me this time. That enterprising upstart fulfilled his promise. His obsession of one day heading the DOD no doubt was the reason why he gave me such a delicate and unique project. After all, having a working project will no doubt provide some clout in his future career.

Kenneth Baker. Ugh. His constant praise of his "revolutionary extraordinary exoskeleton" is getting on my nerves. Although… his prototype has piqued my interest. The exoskeleton is based on the "Kinesthetic Idiomuscular Computer Assisted Super Soldier (KICASS) System." If KICASS can prove its worth, I'm sure Senator Sears would love to incorporate the technology into his "Tengu" program.

One thing worries me though. Ames, that bastard, insisted on providing a geneticist to assist me on this project. Like I don't have enough of them here in ATGC. What was her name? Natalie? Nina? No. Naomi. Ah. Right. Naomi Hunter. Her constant worried looks at the subject are a bit disconcerting. It almost seems like she knows him. However, her credentials are beyond reproach, and she seems bright enough. Ames better not screw me over again.


	2. Hunter

_Fox_ this. _Fox_ that. I wish -- I wish they'd all shut up and _die_! Solid Snake. Baker and his infernal exoskeleton. And… Clark -- Damn you! He has a name, dammit! Oh. My dear, Frank. My brother. What have they done to you?

Frankie. You were so vibrant. So loving. You were all I had left after my parents died. You saved my life. You saved me. You fed me. You were the one bright light shining through the sandstorms of Rhodesia.

Now, look at you. What have you become? You're just a ghost of your old self in this damnable exoskeleton shell -- It's like I can't tell if you're my enemy or my friend. Your eyes are devoid of the vibrant light that shone behind them. Especially when you're hooked up to all those IVs.

It's amazing how well you've recovered, Frankie. Your reflexes are amazing. Your senses have become finely tuned. Sight. Hearing. Smell. All beyond human; almost like an animal… like a fox. Your motor skills are extraordinary. I knew you were an excellent soldier as we grew up together, but it's mind boggling how fast you move and react to stimuli now. I suppose it's due to Clark's "breakthrough" gene therapy techniques. Using nanomachines to help infuse Big Boss's soldier genes into your genome… Looks like Big Boss saved you again, huh, Frank? Of course, I helped contribute to that therapy. I found most of those soldier genes and I came up with the delivery method by copying restriction enzymes. So, your sister helped save you, too. Are you proud of me?

If only Clark took you off the sedative drugs, maybe you can answer me. His biochemists are trying to figure out a better way to neutralize the excessive synaptic firing in your amygdala. So far, the medicine's potency wears off after a few hours. And they're all little cowards who have to sedate you after watching their precious drug wear off. I hate them. I despise them. Especially Clark.

Damn Clark to hell. Don't worry, Frankie. I'm plotting my revenge. I've become involved in a secret project, and he'll be my prototype. He won't suffer as much as you, but he'll suffer enough. I'll make him pay. I'll make him pay for everything he's done to you.

FOXDIE! An appropriate name. Fox … for his pet project. Die … for his ultimate fate. It's _perfect_.


	3. A talking Fox

The light on the stasis pod display changes from red to green as the semi-cylindrical protective glass covering swings away from the subject. The EEG shows Gray Fox regaining consciousness.

_Aaah, they're bringing me out of stasis; if only they could rid me of these nightmares._

Gray Fox begins to slowly turn his head from side to side, stretching his neck muscles. A figure twenty feet away, shrouded in shadow, catches his attention.

_Surprise, surprise. The lead researcher is greeting me_.

A tall, balding man of sixty appears in view of Gray Fox. Unlike many of his assistants, he is well groomed, and sprightly. In a confident voice, he says, "Good morning."

Gray Fox, used to being greeted by the lead researcher in this fashion, attempts to respond. "Good m--"

_I can talk! My voice sounds really raspy_.

"It sounds like you've been smoking Lucky Strikers for many years. But, I'm glad to see that your vocal chords have finally healed. Since it's a special day, I thought I'd check up on you to see your progress." The lead researcher checks the printouts next to Gray Fox's stasis pod. "Impressive."

"Who are you?" rasps Fox.

"Neither enemy nor friend. I am a researcher and it is customary for one such as I to not fraternize with the subject. However, since I've become a fan of your fighting skills, I believe it's safe to say, my name is Dr. Clark. Dr. Kenton Clark."

Fox, tempted to mock Clark, decides to reply, "Super."

Clark winces. "Quite."

Clark walks up to Fox, within two feet of the stasis pod. He searches Fox's unexpressive face as if he's looking for a way to read his mind. Finally, he says, "Forgive my curiosity, but I must know. Why won't you die? Why do you live?"

Without hesitation, Gray Fox replies, "Fighting. Fighting is the only thing I am good at. It is the only thing that makes me feel truly alive." _And if I keep getting tested on like some sort of human guinea pig, I'll bring the fight to you, Clark._

"Truly alive, hmm?" Clark ponders about the subject's past. "Well, your life is in my hands now."

_We'll see about that._

Fox flexes his biceps and looks at his hands. He shows amazement at how well coordinated his movements are.

Clark, looking pleased with himself, continues, "I've fitted you with an exoskeleton. It--"

"I feel some pressure on my torso," Fox interjects. "It feels like someone's got me in a bear hug."

"That's to be expected. It's to keep your vital organs at peak efficiency. Your exoskeleton is the first of its kind. You are our first _cyborg_. The interior of the exoskeleton is lined with an array of sensors which interface with your skin. The nanomachines within your body have created a neural network, which interact with the motor nodes within the exoskeleton and by using bioelectrical feedback, it amplifies your muscle movements. This explains your fancy acrobatics. What do you think you are, some kind of _ninja_?"

". . ." _If only he knew_.

Clark, disappointed at the reception of his joke, says, "In any event, today you're going to have another round of gene therapy. We're going to put you back under stasis. Good day." Clark turns around and begins to walk away.

"Wait!" exclaims Fox. Clark stops briefly and looks over his shoulder. He turns around with a smug look on his face.

Fox feels the sting of an intravenous needle as it pierces his skin. _Not again_. The lines of Fox's EEG become uniform as the sedative takes effect. The semi-cylindrical protective glass covering swings back into position with a hiss. The light on the stasis pod display blinks several times, then changes from green to red, blanketing the room and Clark in a crimson aura.


	4. A Fox back in time

_Not again_

The hiss of the glass covering transfers Fox back in time. . .

_THWIP_ hissed the silenced Hush Puppy. The young soldier in military fatigues holstered his gun after making sure his target was down. Big Boss had recruited Frank Jaeger after the incident in San Hieronymo Peninsula. Unfortunately, he told Frank, he had some family issues to take care of. It didn't matter; Big Boss had left Frank in charge of their mercenary operation: eliminating two Rhodesian geneticists creating a new deadly form of weaponized anthrax. The husband and wife were holed up in an inn, protected by their insurgent friends.

Frank had killed one of the insurgent sentries, guarding the rooftop near his planned entry point. Silently, Frank assembled his M40A1 sniper rifle. After the assembly was complete, Frank lit a long fuse that would detonate some firecrackers placed in a five gallon barrel.

_CRACK crack POP crack crack POP pop POP!_ The firecrackers exploded within the barrel, which caused the curious insurgents to break their cover and look for the source of the noise. After waiting patiently for his shot, an opportunity appeared. The female geneticist looked through the blinds in the window. Frank took his shot.

_BANG!_ Frank looked up from the scope in time to see the target fall backwards in slow motion.

Screams. Chaos. Men shouting. The insurgents paid for their curiosity with the loss of one of their charges. Security will only get tighter, thought Frank. Stealthily, the young soldier made his way from rooftop to rooftop. He passed the body of the sentry he had eliminated earlier. Ten feet away was his entry point: an air duct.

Frank carefully made his way along the duct system, going in the direction of the voices he could overhear. Looking through the slats of a vent, Frank could make out his other target. The mark was pacing the room, seemingly all by himself. The insurgent guards were likely keeping watch outside.

Crawling in the ducts was hard work, but Frank made it into a vacant, adjacent room. Using a small piece of glass, Frank angled the glass to catch the reflections of the sentries. One was standing with his back to the door leading to the geneticist. Another was down the hall to the right, keeping an ear to the wall facing the street. The last sentry went into the room on the opposite side of the geneticist.

Quietly, Frank opened the door to his room, and sidled up to the sentry guarding the door. In a second, Frank slid behind the enemy and broke his neck. After letting the body drop to the floor, Frank flung his short knife at the sentry at the end of the hall. With amazing precision, the knife sliced through the intercostal muscles and pierced the guard's heart, killing him instantly. Frank made his way into the other room, and found the last sentry radioing his comrades. Immediately after the transmission was completed, Frank snuck behind the last sentry and snapped his neck.

Since the bodyguards were taken care of, Frank went back into the duct and made his way above the room. He positioned the suppressor of his Hush Puppy between the slats of the vents and waited for the geneticist to pace in his line of fire.

_THWIP_. Headshot. Frank dropped from the duct system and landed next to the geneticist. A noise behind him caught Frank's attention. Frank quickly moved the geneticist's body out the door and into the next room. After making sure that there were no more insurgents, Frank made his way to the closet. He opened it to find . . . a young girl!

Frank looked down at the young girl's amazing hazel eyes. He'd seen eyes like hers before. They reminded her of his caretaker from San Hieronymo.

"Elisa?" Frank said.

The young girl just shook her head.

"What's your name?" Frank asked.

"My parents said to never speak to strangers. What's your name?" the young girl quipped.

"I'm like you. I have no name," Frank responded. "We have to get going. Your parents told me to get you out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere unless I know your name," said the young girl defiantly.

"My name is Frank."

"Do you have any food, Frank? I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten since my parents brought me to this inn."

Frank took out his meal-ready-to-eat and shared his ration with the little girl. For the first time in his life, he felt guilty for doing his job. For as long as he could remember, he never felt any emotion after a mission. That was why he found that life as a mercenary easily suited him. But now, after he killed this young girl's parents, he felt conflicting emotions. It would be unprofessional for him to leave a loose end. However, this child was so young! And she reminded him of Elisa.

"Frank? Where are my parents?" inquired the little girl.

"They went away," Frank lied. "We really have to go."

"Where?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll introduce you to my boss. We can get away from this windy, sandy country, and meet up with your parents, okay?"

"Okay."

Frank and the young girl held hands as Frank led the way to his extraction point.

_Where are you now, Naomi?_


	5. Email

From: Kenneth Baker (KennyB armstech . url)

To: Kenton Clark (IamnotSuperman atgc . url)

RE: Exoskeleton

Clark --

Thanks again for using our prototype exoskeleton. One of our engineers recently told me that the pigmentation of the suit can change with the experience of the wearer. Whatever that means. He keeps babbling about how, every other time, the orange changes to red and how the helmet changes from gray to red, while the light changes from orange to green.

Also, it has recently been brought to my attention that one of our unscrupulous employees, named Tran, stole some technological specs from Emmerich, another engineer. Apparently, Tran reprogrammed the nano-mesh to incorporate some of Emmerich's stealth camouflage technology. The nano-mesh will be able to refract light, effectively making light "bend" around the exoskeleton. Theoretically, the interface between the subject's nanomachines and the nano-mesh of the exoskeleton will activate the refraction of light -- all the subject has to do is think about becoming invisible, and the exoskeleton will follow this thought. We have yet to make this a reality in the lab, but I thought I'd let you know.

Good luck with your experiments.

Baker


	6. The new Naomi

While Fox is revisiting his past, Naomi is doing the same in her dreams . . .

The little girl watched as Frank talked to Big Boss. _What was so big about him? It'd probably be hard for him to size anything up with only one eye!_ The young girl giggled at her own joke.

"That is amazing, Big Boss! Thank you! I can't wait to tell her the news!" Frank said.

_Frank. Thank you. Thank you so much for rescuing me._

The girl remembered how Frank, only 48 hours earlier, had found her in a closet. Her parents and she had been taken against their will by the insurgents. They said that they wouldn't feed them unless they did what they wanted. The girl found it odd -- what did they want her parents to do? After all, mom and dad worked with mice and rabbits. Did they need a veterinarian or something? Whatever they needed from them, they obviously weren't patient.

After Frank and she had gotten away from Rhodesia, they waited for Big Boss to show up. While they waited, Frank told her the news -- the insurgents had killed her parents.

"That makes sense," the young girl said. "Daddy wanted me to hide in the closet and to be as quiet as a mouse. So, that's why I did. I pretended I was a mouse hiding."

"That's good," said Frank. "You did a good job being a mouse. My mission was to take care of your parents, and so that's why I had to get rid of the insurgents. After I took care of them, I heard a little mouse moving around. I'm glad you weren't harmed."

Frank looked at her. The young girl smiled and looked him in the eyes. After making eye contact, Frank's face changed subtly, like there was something that caused him pain.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Hmm? Nothing -- I'm just tired," Frank replied.

"Me, too," the young girl said. She rested her head on Frank's shoulder and fell asleep.

The young girl remembered falling asleep on Frank's shoulder. This was probably what it felt like for a younger sister to fall asleep on her older brother's shoulder. She had always wanted a sibling. _Frank could be like her brother!_ With that thought, she noticed Frank was walking in her direction.

She smiled as he approached. "Hi Frank!" chirped the young girl.

"Hello. I have great news." The young girl looked up into Frank's eyes. Once again, Frank's face changed subtly.

"What's wrong? You don't look like you have great news," the young girl replied.

"Don't worry about it," Frank said, shaking his head. "Big Boss just got me these papers." Frank gave the young girl the papers. She read them over, then looked at Frank.

"Who's Naomi Hunter?" she asked.

"That's you! That's your new identity."

"Why? I don't like that name," she said dejectedly.

"You don't like that name? Why not?" Frank asked. "It took some doing, but Big Boss bought this name for you. We have to give you a new identity because we don't want those insurgents to find you."

"But I still don't like this name!" the young girl protested.

"Look," Frank began. "I'll tell you a secret."

The young girl's eyes widened. "What is it?"

"My last name is Jaeger. Do you know what Jaeger means?"

"No."

"Jaeger means 'hunter' in German. So, if you look at your name--"

"I'll have the same last name as you!" the young girl exclaimed. "You'll be like my brother!!!" She hugged Frank.

"That's right . . . Naomi."


	7. Memories in a new dimension

"Dr. Clark, we're ready," a laboratory assistant stated.

"Wake the subject," Clark said briskly.

The laboratory assistant pressed a key sequence, and the light on Fox's stasis pod changed from red to green.

"Unggggh," Fox moaned.

"Good morning, Fox. We're going to try something new. We've initiated a new type of gene therapy. I'm planning to get some funding for this new technique. You'll be the first to undergo this procedure. It'll enhance your memories."

"N-n-no. Please. . . No."

"It'll be okay, Fox. You'll be able to help amnesiacs and other people with memory problems by being our first subject."

"No!" Fox panted.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. Your blood will constantly have some residual sedative, but little enough for you to be conscious." Clark smiled. "You're going to do this whether you want to or not."

Clark walked in front of Fox. "We will also be able to see your memories with the use of this holographic projector." Clark points at a pyramid in the middle of the lab. "Begin the signal manipulation of his nanomachines in his perirhinal and temporal cortices."

The lab assistant pressed a couple buttons. Fox grimaced. His head jolted backwards for a brief second.

The pyramid in the middle of the lab whirred and spun. Thin shafts of light emanated from the pyramid and formed a blurry three dimensional image three feet above the ground. After another couple button presses, the image became clearly defined.

In the middle of the room, a tall young man with coarse brown hair stood perplexed. As he looked from side to side, the excess fabric of his bandanna swished around like a tail of a kite. This young man was Solid Snake.

_Solid Snake, in a gruff voice, asked, "Where am I?"_ After hearing the tinny audio, the laboratory assistant adjusted the auditory output.

_Gray Fox replied, "The perfect ring for our final battle. It's been a while, Snake... Here we are, back in the minefield... What say we go at it hand to hand!"_

"Switch to a third person perspective!" barked Clark. With this, another tall man appears in front of Snake: Gray Fox, when he was whole. Fox is already in a fighting stance, ready to do battle with his ex-compatriot and student, Snake.

_Snake continued standing, perplexed. Finally, he managed to blurt, "A chicken fight!"_

Gray Fox smirked. He replied, "The two greatest rivals in FOXHOUND... I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Finally, Snake assumed a fighting stance. "Fox! I'll beat some sense into you!"

Gray Fox laughed. "Snake! It's time for you to learn why they call me Fox!" he exclaimed.

Mercenary against government operative. The two soldiers circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Snake, the student, began the attack against his former mentor.

Snake rushed up to Fox and aimed a punch at his face. Fox evaded Snake's fist and sent his own into Snake's midsection, by the obliques. Snake grunted, as he exhaled, to decrease the amount of air in his lungs, allowing him to brace for the impact. Snake, taking advantage of the close proximity to Fox, kneed him in the midsection. Fox used the same technique as Snake to brace for the impact. Snake then attempted to aim a backhanded fist at Fox's head, but Fox nimbly did a back flip away from Snake.

Clark marveled at the technology, but he was more impressed with Fox's fighting skills. Clark continued to watch in awe as Fox right himself, only to have Snake do a high round house kick, which Fox deftly blocked. Snake lowered his foot, then raised his other foot, chambering for another kick. Fox raised his guard to prepare for another high kick. Snake grinned and took advantage of this rare lapse in defense, and sent a low kick into Fox's knee. Fox groaned and buckled to the ground. Snake approached Fox, only to see his mentor jump a foot above his head.

The hologram suddenly wiggled horizontally, as the subject, Gray Fox, yelled in the stasis pod, "I'm . . . I'm losing myself!!! Graaaaah!!!"

"Give him more medicine! More sedative! STAT!" barked Clark. The lab assistant adjusted the IV drip. Gray Fox calmed down, and as a result, the hologram became stable.

Fox landed only a couple feet away from a mine and rushed at Snake. When Fox was in range, he threw a haymaker punch at Snake's head -- which barely missed his target, as Snake flexed his neck. Fox withdrew his fist, leaving himself open for a kick right in the solar plexus. Fox couldn't brace for this one -- he got his wind knocked out of him. Fox collapsed on all fours. As Fox had taught him, Snake showed no mercy, and drove a double fisted strike into the small of Fox's back. Fox crumpled to the ground, onto his stomach. As he fell onto his face, Fox's right hand went laterally to his side.

**TINK**

Both soldiers looked at each other; the student standing above his teacher, lying prone on the ground. They both recognized that sound. Fox's hand had depressed the sensor of the mine. A shift in pressure, and the two of them would be no more.

_Gray Fox groaned. "Snake... Looks like it's finally time for me to give up the title of 'Fox.'"_

_Snake knelt on one knee. "Fox... why?"_

"I'm not like you, Snake... My situation is more... complicated. Big Boss might have been just another CO to you, but he saved my life - twice."

Snake looked confused.

Fox continued, "This was way before I joined the unit. The first time, I was half-white living in Vietnam... It was after the war, and half-whites were being sent into forced labor camps. He saved me from that living hell. Just like he saved all the children here..." Fox looked back at the fortress. "The second time was in Mozambique. I was being tortured as a RENAMO soldier, and he saved me again. They'd cut off my ears and my nose..."

Snake groaned. Then, enraged, said, "And this is your idea of paying him back?!"

Gray Fox shook his head. "No, you've got it wrong. I hate war. Just like all the kids here. But... I need it. War is all we know. We can't make it in the normal world. We need the battlefield to survive. Big Boss gives us a place to fight." Fox looked into Snake's eyes. "Conflict is on our blood. We can't deny it. I was born on the battlefield... And I'll die on the battlefield. All I can do is fight, Snake... all I can do is fight."

Fox paused, and looked at the ground. "Making people happy... making a woman happy... is something I could never do."

Snake interjected, "You mean..."

Gray Fox's face changed and showed grim determination. "Guess I was always fated to die in action."

Snake looked grim as well. "Rest easy, Fox. I swear I won't turn out like you."

Gray Fox smiled briefly. "Won't turn out like me... I'll have to remember that. ...Fight hard, Snake. ... Don't let your fans down."

Snake perked his head up. An instant of recognition flashed in his eyes. "My fans?! ...It was you, wasn't it? ...You were the voice on the radio!"

Gray Fox groaned, "Call it payback for being so selfish..." Fox looked at his right hand. "See you on the other side, Snake."

Naomi, who had been watching this whole episode in the shadows, unbeknownst to anyone, turned around and walked out of the lab, furious. "So. This is what Snake did to Frankie," whispered Naomi as she stormed to her laboratory.

_Snake, trying to placate his friend and mentor, said, "You won't be alone, Frank. Gustava is waiting for you."_

Gray Fox's face turned pensive as he remembered his lover. "...Gustava... ...Thank you... Snake... Now go."

Snake is seen walking away. As soon as he's out of range, Fox removes his hand from atop the sensor.

The holographic projector shuts off.

Clark stood, awestruck. "Amazing technology! Wait until DARPA hears about this! Put the subject back to sleep."

Once again, the light on the stasis pod changed from green to red. Once again, the whole lab is bathed in a dark crimson red light.


	8. DNA Hunter

Snake. Must. Die.

Snake. Must. Pay.

_Naomi shakes her head_. After watching that damned hologram, it's all I can think about. Snake just left Frankie to die. After all of Frankie's training and friendship, Snake just jumped ship like a rat. I'll avenge my brother after I take care of Clark.

The retrovirus is penetrating the macrophages like I wanted. For now, I've made the smart enzymes recognize Clark's DNA. Hopefully, when I infect him, the macrophages will then secrete enough TNF-epsilon to cause apoptosis of his myocardial cells. It's sort of ironic that he'll suffer from a heart attack, when he's a heartless bastard.

The only thing I have to do now is to make the smart enzymes recognize Snake's DNA. I think I'll modify the phage to undergo a lysogenic cycle. Excellent. The virus will become one with Snake. I think I'll set the virus's exit from the lysogenic cycle to be random. That'll be best -- constant fear of death, when he least expects it! One moment he could be changing his ammo after betraying a friend or mentor, the next moment he will be on the ground, in misery, as his heart cells kill themselves.

But first, I have to find the correct DNA sequence.

_Naomi scrolls through Snake's DNA sequence._

121 AGCTG CGAAT TCGGA TTACC CGGTT ACCGA  
151 GGTCG AGGTC CCAGC CATGC GGCAT TTTAC  
181 CCGGT _**SNAKE. MUST. DIE.**___

Naomi shakes her head again.

121 AGCTG CGAAT TCGGA TTACC CGGTT ACCGA  
151 GGTCG AGGTC CCAGC CATGC GGCAT TTTAC  
181 CCGGT CCGTT AGGTC GGATC CCTTT AAAGC

It's almost like I've become obsessed with Snake. I'll finish this work later. I'm going to deal with Clark first.


	9. A Fox goes free

Naomi walked into the lab. There was excitement in the air. She could feel it. Upon looking to the right, she found out why.

Dr. Clark and his three laboratory assistants were huddled over a large, rectangular stainless steel case. While they were distracted, Naomi went over to a console containing the sedative they would give Frank every time they did their experiments. Naomi grabbed the three vials of liquid sedative and the three containers of crystallized salts of the sedative. She discreetly put these reagents into a small steel case of her own.

Naomi approached the huddled scientists.

"Ah, Dr. Hunter. Baker sent us this amazing plasma cannon." Clark said. "Fox can apparently add this module and use it like any other appendage. The trigger is built in the casing. This will--" Clark started coughing.

While Clark was babbling about his new toy, Naomi had withdrawn a compact from her laboratory jacket. She opened the compact, raised it to her lips, and blew the powder in Clark's face, at which Clark started coughing.

With the four men distracted, Naomi pressed the key sequence controlling Frank's stasis pod. The light changed from red to green.

"HEY! What are you doing?!?" Clark roared. "Get HER!"

Two lab assistants flanked Naomi and held her by her elbows. The third assistant closed the case containing the plasma cannon. Dr. Clark made his way in front of Naomi, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Naomi screamed, "FRANK! Help me!"

"Frank? Who's Frank?" Clark inquired. He squinted his eyes as he began, "Why are you call--"

Clark was interrupted by a loud crashing noise. He turned around just in time to see Gray Fox's fist erupt through the stasis pod's glass cylindrical covering. Glass flew in every direction. An alarm sounded, alerting the minimal security of the lab. 

Gray Fox emerged from the stasis pod slowly, like a man re-born. He took in his surroundings as he looked from right to left. Finally, his eyes found Naomi, being held captive by the two lab assistants.

Fox's face plates came together with a loud hiss. The light in the middle of the mask flickered briefly before illuminating in a bright wrathful orange. The free laboratory assistant ran at Fox at full speed, only to be deftly dodged by the nimble Fox. The cyborg ninja grabbed hold of the assistant's collar and flung him into a control panel across the room. _Thump_. The assistant rebounded from the wall and fell to the ground near the pyramid in the middle of the room.

"CLARK!" came the metallic voice of Gray Fox.

Clark ran to the console where the sedatives were, only to find it empty. He started to panic. Finally, he turned around in time to see Fox approach him. Fox grabbed Clark by the lapels of his lab coat, then flung him bodily against the wall near the exit.

As Clark was flying across the lab, one of the security guards came running, in response to the alarm. What he saw, as he crossed the threshold of the lab, was beyond his worst nightmares. The guard reached for his small caliber pistol, a Glock 23.

In response to this threatening gesture, Fox stomped the ground near a large shard of glass. As a result of the sudden downward force, the shard went up into the air a few centimeters. As the shard reached the apex of the upward movement, Fox kicked the shard in the direction of the security guard. With amazing precision, the shard pierced the guard's neck, transecting the internal and external carotid arteries. Blood gushed from the wound like a geyser. The guard's body slumped to the floor.

Fox returned his attention to the assistants grabbing Naomi. Reflex took over, and Fox recalled his experience as a child soldier: Be visible while being invisible. With this thought, the nano-mesh of Fox's suit refracted light, rendering Fox invisible.

The assistants looked around wildly. Suddenly, one of the assistant's bodies went limp. Fox had broken his neck while invisible. The other assistant panicked, let go of Naomi, and ran in the direction of the exit. Fox disengaged the stealth camouflage, jumped into the air, and landed in front of his prey. The assistant ran into Fox and fell like he had hit a brick wall. Fox picked up the assistant above his head horizontally, and tossed hapless victim into the stasis pod. The assistant flew through the air at an alarming speed. As he approached the stasis pod, the assistant knew he was going to die -- his neck was properly aligned to get sliced by the ragged edges of remaining glass of the stasis pod. The assistant finally came to a stop, with the body falling to the ground while the head bounced around and finally came to rest at the bottom of the stasis pod. 

A second security guard appeared and looked at his fallen comrade. In a blind rage, the guard rushed at Fox. Fox met the guard with a fist into the solar plexus. The guard's xyphoid process broke off of the sternum and clipped the vagus nerve. With his diaphragm no longer contracting, the guard fell down dead next to the pyramid, near the unconscious lab assistant.

Fox walked slowly towards Clark, who had regained consciousness. Adrenaline surged through Clark's veins, as well as a minute amount of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) epsilon. . .

Upon seeing his escaped subject approach him, Clark quickly dove in the direction of the second security guard. Then, he took the Glock from the security guard's holster. Clark leveled the gun at Fox and squeezed off eleven shots.

_BANG! BANG BANG! BANG BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG BANG BANG!_

With each pull of the trigger, Fox quickly used his hands to ward off the bullets, deflecting them painlessly. _BANG!_ Fox again deflected the bullet. _BANG!_ Fox swatted at the bullet like an annoying fly. The ricocheted bullet pierced the cranium, right between the eyes, of the first lab assistant that accosted Fox.

_click click click click CLICK!_

Out of bullets! In frustration, Clark tossed the Glock at Fox. Fox unflinchingly caught the discharged firearm, and disassembled it in front of Clark.

"Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon," remarked the metallic voice of Gray Fox.

Clark's heart started to hammer loudly in his chest. Suddenly, he felt pain in his left arm and hand.

"My hand!" Clark cried.

Clark fell onto all fours as his heart continued to beat wildly. "Referred pain?" he whispered. Clark crawled towards Fox. He reached his left hand upward, pleadingly. "Fox."

Like the snapping of jaws, Fox's face plates opened and receded laterally. Fox looked down at Clark.

"Please help. . . Fox. . ." implored Clark.

Fox reached out with his left hand . . .

And grabbed Clark's wrist. Fox jerked Clark upwards. The latter looked relieved until he saw Fox grab his arm near the elbow with his other hand. Then, in one fluid motion, Gray Fox swung Clark's body in an arc, over his head. 

As Clark's body approached vertical, he yelled, "FOX!"

Fox continued the windmill action and impaled Clark's heart on the pyramidal holographic projector.

"Die," Fox yelled back, at the lifeless body. "GRAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

Because of the rage he felt, the synapses in Fox's amygdala fired rapidly, causing him to feel more aggressive, which in turn, fueled his rage. This created a feedback loop that made Fox bellow, "I-I-I'm losing myself! Naomi! The medicine!!!"

Naomi, holding the steel case with the plasma cannon, approached his surrogate brother as quickly as she could.

Suddenly, a large orb of static electricity surrounded Gray Fox, while a metallic droning reverberated from Fox's mask. Gray Fox leaped into the air and landed on one of the control panels. As he landed, Fox punched the display, causing a large cascade of sparks to shower the ground. Naomi shrieked as the console caught fire. Once again, Fox jumped into the air, only to land heel-first onto another control console. Another large orb of static electricity formed around Fox, which caused the circuits to melt and catch fire. Fox continued to leap from console to console, completely obliterating them in the process. Finally, he landed next to Clark's body and the pyramidal holographic projector. Fox's arms went to his sides as large arcs of electricity emanated from his body. The sudden increase in voltage caused a surge of electricity through the pyramid and along the cords to the power source. _BOOOOOM!_ The control panel exploded into numerous pieces as the thermal limits of its components had been exceeded.

Naomi cautiously rolled a vial of the sedative towards Fox's foot. Fox quickly drank the contents and relaxed immediately.

"Let's get out of here!" Fox said.

Gray Fox and Naomi ran out of the laboratory. All of the equipment went up in flames, as well as the bodies of Fox's fallen foes.

Upon reaching the parking lot, in the warm, balmy night, the brother and sister stopped and turned around.

Naomi reached into her pocket and pulled out the compact. She smiled. She had successfully programmed the retrovirus to target Clark's DNA within macrophages, which released TNF-epsilon. The TNF-epsilon bonded with its receptors in the heart cells and initiated programmed cell death, outwardly causing a heart attack. Her project was a success!

She turned toward her brother and hugged him. After releasing him from the hug, Naomi looked into Frank's eyes and smiled. Frank's expressionless face changed subtly.

"You must be tired, Frankie," Naomi said.

"Tired, and hot. I've had enough with this warm weather," Frank replied.

"How about Alaska? I know of an archipelago with your name on it."

Frank and Naomi walked into the darkness as they heard sirens approach.


	10. Commentary

First and foremost, thanks to Camo Snake, Solid5n4ke, SSJJin, and MajinSweet for the support and feedback.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FANFIC.

Here are some thoughts about each chapter, to show what I was thinking, etc:

Chapter One

Dr. Clark's perspective.

I wanted to give a backstory about how Fox got his suit, and potential injuries Fox could have sustained in the minefield. I mentioned the primary motor and sensory cortices (plural of "cortex") since I recalled Fox's unbelievable actions and how fast he reacted. The amygdala is associated with aggression and rage, so I figured if it was "repaired" by Clark, it could possibly become over-stimulated with nanomachines.

The first part referred mostly to MPO. Null had his memory wiped frequently, hence my mentioning of amnesia. I decided to make Fox more human (instead of a killing machine) by having him have nightmares.

I mentioned Houseman as a reference to MGS1, and him being an "upstart" to foreshadow his involvement in Shadow Moses. Personally, I thought Houseman was a bit stuck up, and thought this (successful) exoskeleton project would help explain why he became stuck up.

I mentioned Baker because he seemed familiar with the exoskeleton after Ocelot lost his hand. So, why not have Armstech develop the suit? KICASS is supposed to be based on "kickass" -- I couldn't think of a word that started with "K" that would fit between "computer" and "assisted."

In "In the Darkness of Shadow Moses," it was revealed that Ames and Naomi had a relationship. I had the story have Ames posit Naomi in ATGC to help develop the FOXDIE virus. Obviously, Naomi knew Fox from before, so I wanted Clark to be uncomfortable with her reaction to the "subject." Since Naomi helped cover up Fox's destruction of the lab (lol spoilers), I thought it would be fitting that they had unfavorable impressions of each other.

Chapter Two

Naomi's perspective.

Notice the italics in the first line? "Fox" and "die" . . . Hint. Hint.

I figured Naomi had an inkling about WHY Fox ended up the way he did -- because of Solid Snake. I didn't go further because I wanted Naomi to be in the dark about what had happened (until Chapter Seven, anyway).

From Naomi's angst in MGS1, I figured she didn't like the exoskeleton, so I had her condemning it (and Armstech's Baker) from the very beginning.

As mentioned before, I thought it'd be fitting that she didn't like Clark from the outset.

I wanted to show how Naomi felt about Fox, glorifying him. Have him be like her savior. I wanted to contrast how Fox was when he found Naomi in Rhodesia with how he was in the lab. Did you catch the "Ghost in the shell" reference? I thought I'd incorporate Fox's "enemy / friend" quote somehow, from a person that loved him.

Naomi's assessment about how fast Fox had become was an extension on how work on the primary motor and sensory cortices could affect his performance as a soldier. I wanted to hint at how the work on his brain may have made Fox more animalistic, so I included the line "like a Fox." Fitting, since that's his code name. :) I thought it'd be cool to incorporate the whole "soldier genes" theme with the nanomachines to explain Clark's gene therapy techniques. Big Boss "saved" Fox a couple times, so I thought I'd mention it here, with regards to the soldier genes. In addition, I wanted Naomi to help "save" Fox, too; to return the favor for saving her in Rhodesia. I liked the personal effect that this image created.

I mention the sedative drugs to show how Fox was restrained while Clark et al tested on him. I mention the amygdala again to foreshadow the rage and aggression that was shown in the lab, and a possible reason for why Fox has to have medicine to calm him down.

Once again, I wanted to show how much animosity Naomi may have had for Clark. Here is an allusion to what could happen to him and the means of how Naomi could have her revenge.

It comes full circle with "Fox" and "Die" and how "perfect" this name is. Yes, yes, I know -- FOXDIE was likely named for killing off FOXHOUND, but I appropriated it for Naomi's way for revenge.

Chapter Three

A third person perspective showing the interaction between Fox and Clark, with first person perspective (Fox) in italics.

For the people that saw the first draft of this chapter, I think this was way better. For the people that didn't see it, let's just say, "A DUD?!??!"

Once again, I mention nightmares to show the human(e) side of Fox. This is also an allusion to MPO since Null was put into a chamber and had his memory wiped. Different stasis pod, different procedures.

I had the shadow catch Fox's attention to show how reactive he was, and perhaps how much better his senses were as a result of the work done on his primary sensory cortex.

I thought it'd be cool if Fox had his vocal cords repaired after Zanzibar. I made him have a hoarse voice, like he was a chronic smoker of "Lucky Strikers" -- Solid Snake's favorite brand!

I put in a couple lines of Fox's from MGS1: "Neither enemy nor friend" and I modified the "Let's just say I'm one of your fans."

LOL. Clark's first name. This was kind of like an inside joke. But, most people can see the Superman reference. That was my first choice. I was also thinking about having him having "Lewis" as a middle name, or as my second choice for his first name. Kept it as Kenton for another little joke later on (Chapter Five).

First joke was Fox's reply: "Super." Having Clark wince at this response had me laughing as I typed this chapter.

I had Clark examine Fox close up, and try to find out why he was still ticking. I was tempted to put in Raiden's line "Still ticking, huh?" but didn't think it'd be received well. Instead, I put Null's line to Naked Snake, "Why do you still live?"

The response should be familiar since Fox says it in MGS1 and Snake in MGS2. I thought it'd be interesting in having Fox resent being ANOTHER human experiment, and noted as such in Fox's italicized thought.

Clark explains about the exoskeleton, and Fox interrupts him with Raiden's line from MGS2. Clark continues about the interface. A certain line was omitted (I'm sure you can figure out why). I thought I'd mention "cyborg ninja" so I did in italics -- another little inside joke.

Clark's smug look as he walks away was to show how much he relished experimenting on Fox. I wanted Clark to start feeling egomaniacal by having such "power" over his experimental subject.

There's foreshadowing in the change from green to red.

Chapter Four

Third person perspective, detailing Fox's assassination mission. Thoughts of Fox in italics.

A few references to the games: Hush Puppy from MGS3; San Hieronymo Peninsula from MPO; family issues regarding the Snake brothers being cloned.

I thought it'd be interesting that the intel gathered for Fox's MERCENARY operation, referred to Naomi's parents being geneticists making weaponized anthrax IN LEAGUE with insurgents.

I had the scenario of Fox sniping one of the parents and couldn't figure out how the target could get drawn near a window. So, I thought of firecrackers be a diversionary measure and have the parent look out the window at the commotion. After much deliberation, I made the mother be the first target.

Fox gets to his entry point: an air duct. I wanted this to be like the air duct system in Shadow Moses when Snake first makes his way into the base.

The glass as a mirror was inspired by what the soldiers did in "Saving Private Ryan." Besides, I wanted to show Fox's intellect on the battlefield. I imagined the "uh uh uh uh" sound from MGS1's neck snapping. I didn't want Fox to use his Hush Puppy to take care of the next sentry, so I had him use a knife. After all, he's like a ninja! He's had experience with knives. I wanted to show off his accuracy with knives, so I had it pierce the dude's heart. Another neck snappage. Fast and stealthy.

Fox goes back into the ducts. THWIP headshot was supposed to be like "Boom! Headshot!" Silly, I know.

I had the dad trying to hide his daughter. Of course, Fox didn't know this, so he moved the geneticist's body to avoid suspicion (with another possible sentry).

Fox notices the eyes of Naomi. I had them remind him of the eyes of Elisa -- the girl who supervised Null's treatment. I don't recall Elisa's eye color; frankly (har har), I don't care. I like girls with hazel eyes, so..

I wanted to tie in the "I'm like you, I have no name" line, so I made Naomi not tell Fox her name. Besides, Naomi's previous identity wasn't clarified in the games, and I wanted Naomi's past to still remain a mystery.

Naomi mentioned Fox sharing rations in MGS1, so I thought it'd be a nice reference to that if she was hungry when they first met.

In MPO, Null mentions that he had no emotions or memories, which helped make him a perfect soldier. Since the memory and emotional modification stopped, I wanted Fox to actually feel emotions. I wanted to show Fox having a desire to complete his mission by eliminating loose ends (i.e., Naomi), while having feelings of remorse, guilt, etc. Having Elisa's eyes complicated matters.

"I'll introduce you to my boss" was a play off Big Boss's name. Silliness again.

Aww, they're holding hands. How cute. :P

Chapter Five

Email from Baker to Clark.

Couple jokes. Kenneth Baker's email being "KennyB." If you don't get it, shrug. Clark's email being "IamnotSuperman" -- another Superman joke.

The changing of pigmentation refers to Fox's changed appearance in MGS1 -- when Snake wears the tux, Fox appears with a red and blue exoskeleton (lol, primary colors), with a red helmet (green light).

I tried to explain why Fox had stealth camouflage on his exoskeleton, and why Otacon may have recognized the technology ("Stealth camouflage?!?" whimpers). I also tried to explain how the stealth operated, with regards to Fox. I thought it'd be cool if Fox thought of being invisible, the suit would respond to this; this would make the suit an extension of himself, IMO.

Chapter Six

Third person perspective, detailing Naomi's parents' deaths. Thoughts of Naomi's in italics.

Another joke about Big Boss's code name: it would be hard to size things up with one eye (decreased depth perception).

Plot twist! Naomi's parents were indeed geneticists, but they were being held hostage by the insurgents. I wanted to contrast Fox's gathered intel with Naomi's viewpoint as a hostage. I also wanted more sympathy towards Naomi's parents, and Naomi herself. Fox seemed haunted for his actions in Rhodesia. I wanted this to add another wrinkle to the story.

Naomi's parents didn't want to work for the insurgents (create weaponized anthrax), hence the hostage situation. Most geneticists work with lab animals, such as mice and rabbits. I wanted Naomi to show some naivete and think that her parents only dealt with such animals. The imagery was repeated as Naomi told Fox she pretended to be a mouse. Anybody else see the predator/prey situation there?

Insurgents killed her parents? No wai! Fox told her a falsehood, and covered up for his sins. His lie would come back to haunt him, as shown in MGS1. He mentioned seeing his victims in Naomi's eyes. I wanted the guilt to start from the outset, hence the subtle change in his expression.

Awww, falling asleep on his shoulder? How cute. Another sibling type action to show the brother/sister dynamic from MGS1.

Naomi said that she bought her new identity; I made it so Big Boss did. Don't kill me. 

Hunter Jaeger. Oh yes.

Chapter Seven

Another experiment, whoo!

I wanted to show how Clark regarded his precious human experiment. However, I had his rationale be noble -- Fox's sacrifice would help others recover their memories.

The Luxor in Las Vegas was the inspiration for the pyramidal holographic projector. The "signal manipulation of the nanomachines" was to be like Raiden's experience with the Colonel. I modified Otacon's explanation of MGS2's Colonel, in Arsenal, to describe what would happen for Fox's memory. Memory is thought to be associated with activity in the temporal and perirhinal cortices (plural for "cortex").

The memory I wanted to have accessed was the fight with Snake in Zanzibar. I wanted Naomi to watch the holographic representation, so I didn't want to show Fox killing Naomi's parents.

The dialogue (in italics) was taken straight from MG2: Solid Snake game script. I embellished the actions between spoken lines.

Speaking of actions: The fight sequence I described should be familiar for people who played/watched Twin Snakes. I thought it would be appropriate since Fox says "I remember that punch, clash of bone and sinew" in MGS1. I thought it would be cool since there were a lot of spoken lines used in this fanfic to have actions also (gotta love prequels).

"I'm losing myself" is another line from MGS1. I imagined Fox's reaction to rage and aggression (even from memories) would trigger the amygdala, causing Fox to get lost in his emotions (and/or past).

The latter part of the fight was how I envisioned the end of the fight between Snake and Fox. If Fox got injured in the minefield, but Snake survived, how could this happen? So, I figured I would have Fox save Snake, while taking the shrapnel.

As mentioned earlier, Naomi saw all this happening. Instead of Fox telling Naomi how he became ruined (as a result of Snake), I wanted Naomi to see it with her own eyes. I imagined this would be how Naomi started her obsession with Snake. I wanted her to stick around to hear Fox resolve the fight with Snake, so Naomi leaves after Fox says, "See you on the other side."

The signal manipulation was used by the Patriots; thought DARPA would do something similar, since they deal with Research Projects. Had to get DARPA involved somehow! Didn't wanna mention DOD again.

Chapter Eight

Naomi's perspective -- her obsession with Snake.

Notes on FOXDIE. Retrovirus goes into macrophage, recognizes DNA, releases TNF epsilon, blah blah blah. I thought I'd include the viral lysogenic cycle (versus the lytic cycle) to explain the dormancy within Snake.

Heart attack for a heartless bastard. Loved that line.

So, Clark was the first experiment. I figured "programming" a virus needed guinea pigs, so why not Clark?

I had Naomi also work on programming the virus based on Snake's DNA, hence the genetic sequence. Don't worry, it's not real. :P

Naomi's obsession manifests itself, as she's looking at Snake's genetic makeup.

Chapter Nine

I had Naomi thinking ahead, with her stealing the sedatives. After all, she probably wanted Fox out of the lab as much as he did. She was privy to the experiment, so she knew what she was doing.

So, where did Fox get his plasma cannon? From Armstech, of course.

I intended to have Naomi do Sonya Blade's "kiss of death" fatality (from Mortal Kombat), so I had her blow powder in Clark's face. Of course, it's later revealed that the powder had some of the prototypical FOXDIE virus within it. Clever method of distribution, no?

Naomi's ties to Fox are revealed by her use of his first name. I wanted Clark to be taken aback by this.

I also wanted Clark to be tossed around like a play thing, after using Fox as a human experiment.

At first, I wanted the security guard to think he was entering a nightmare, a la "Nightmare on Elm Street." I was even going to make an allusion to Freddy, but decided not to. His death seemed like one that might take place in such a movie, though. His gun, the Glock, was supposed to remind people of Olga's weapon (which she tosses overboard in MGS2).

The glass kicking by Fox was inspired by the dust being lifted on top of REX, in Twin Snakes. Kinda over the top, but, I liked the image of Fox's superhuman speed (with regards to kicking something that only was raised a couple inches). As much as it pains me to say this, I liked the cutscene where Fox meets Snake after the latter fights Ocelot. This action seemed to go along with that over-the-topness shown in that cutscene.

I couldn't really think of how to make Fox invisible, so I referred to his experiences as a child soldier. "Hiding in plain sight" seemed to describe how Fox was a "frank hunter" in MPO. Perhaps I should change that line..

Another neck snappage. Followed by Fox jumping into the air. At first, I was going to make Fox land on top of the lab assistant (like he would do in MGS1), but decided against it, in favor of a more gruesome fatality.

At first, I wasn't going to have another security guard come in. But I wanted Clark to be near the pyramid, hence the guard charging at Fox. If I recall correctly, a clipped vagus nerve wouldn't immediately kill a person; s/he would die quickly due to lack of oxygen, but, creative license, etc.

Clark regains consciousness. I included the TNF epsilon as a hint of things to come.

Clark gets the gun and fires at Fox. Once again, Twin Snakes inspired me. This time: the scene outside Otacon's lab with the soldiers firing upon Fox. Since Fox didn't have a blade, I had him deflect bullets with his hands.

I did some research and found that a Glock 23 can have thirteen bullets, so I had Clark waste the first eleven in panic. lol

Another perhaps-over-the-top scene with a deflecting bullet killing the unconscious lab assistant. Oh well.

Click click click! No more bullets. Oops. I was going to have Fox say my favorite line then ("Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon"), but decided to have Clark chuck the gun at Fox. This was based on an inside joke: in the movies, Superman would walk unfazed while getting shot at, but when the bad guy throws something (i.e., a gun) at Superman, Superman would flinch. Except Gray Fox doesn't flinch.

Clark mutters a line that Fox would hear repeated by Ocelot. Clark wonders about the pain he's feeling in his hands/arms and heart (referred pain -- something that often occurs during heart attacks).

Clark reaches out for help and mutters "Fox" only to get swung over Fox's head. "Die." This was to allude to the interchange between Snake and Liquid at the end of MGS1.

Gotta have the orb of electricity around Fox! So, I incorporated his actions triggering one of these rage attacks. He repeats the line from a couple chapters ago. Like the destruction in Otacon's lab, Fox goes crazy and destroys Clark's lab.

Fox and Naomi flee. They come out into the hot, balmy night. I wanted Fox to get tired of the heat (to foreshadow his appearance in the freezing cold of Alaska). Once again, Fox's guilt appears on his face. The archipelago Naomi is talking about is the one where Shadow Moses is located, the Fox archipelago (funny, huh?).


End file.
